Disabled activist fined for holding a picket in defense of rights of people with disabilities in Svetlahorsk

On December 22, the Court of Svetlahorsk district considered the administrative charges brought against Yury Liashenka, a wheelchair user of Homel, who tried to stage a picket in front of the executive committee on November 25, but was prevented by an ambulance car, which took him to hospital.

Yury Liashenka was charged with violation of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code (violation of the order of holding mass events). Judge Iryna Aliseika punished the disabled activist by a fine of 300 thousand rubles. “The main claim was the fact that I staged the picket at a distance closer than 50 meters to the building of the executive committee. My questions about the ambulance car – why I was grabbed by the doctors whom I had not called and who tried to convince me that I was unwell and made me an injection for blood pressure in the hospital – were not answered by the judge. She argued that the issue could not be addressed within the case and was irrelevant. I’ll find out this question: I am going to write petitions, trying to find justice,” says the activist.

He stressed that the policeman who was a witness at the trial confirmed that he was not present at the site of the picket near the district executive committee, but came to the hospital, where the ambulance had brought Yury Liashenka and wrote an offense report there.

The trial was to be held on November 27. But the hearing did not take place, after the case file was sent for improvement.

Then the activist went abroad for treatment. “Today, on December 22, I was returning from abroad. And at 4 a.m., when I entered the territory of Belarus, I received a text message saying that the trial would be held at 10 a.m. the same morning,” said the activist.

On November 25, he tried to arrange a picket near the executive committee to campaign for the rights of people with disabilities. The executive committee banned the mass event. However, on November 25 Yury Liashenka appeared at the central area of Svetlahorsk. A few minutes later, an ambulance car pulled over and the wheelchair user was dragged into the car. “Two paramedics convinced me that I felt unwell and I needed urgent assistance, but I could not understand what was going on. I felt all right, I did not call an ambulance! At the hospital, I had my pressure measured, they said that I had tachycardia and made an injection. Then there came a policeman who questioned me,” said the activist.

The Court of Svetlahorsk district is yet to hear the civil lawsuit against the executive committee, which banned the picket.